My constant companion Harry, very cosy next to the new propane fireplace that I hope will keep us warmer than last year.

Life as an Artist in a small town.
I had my house up for sale last summer and it almost sold, but no not this year. I beleive that I could sell it in the spring to another buyer, but since having decided that I would go, a big commission came in and another opportunity with a gallery here on the Island. A reason to stay a while longer...and a reason to go.

For now I am very happy to have an exciting commission to work on and spend my days filled with passion and work and no stress. How do you do that you ask? You do what you love, and you stop running around like an asshole trying to get it all done yesterday.
Just take a minute, If you do nothing else for yourself as we begin the new year, just take more time for yourself.
On my StarSeedMedia Blog my morning artist discussion was about TIME BEING THE NEW STATUS SYMBOL

On this blog I will share with you my PACE as an artist, one of the reasons I like being in a small town in the low stress, but really as long as I can do my work in a home studio I am happy to not see much of anyone Most of the Time. Do not interupt my solitude...Dali' understood

this is my dining room now again...studio...need a bigger place...need a bigger place....(as she tapes her red shoes together)

Much love Shayli

MOVING
Leaving Kensington, putting the house up for sale and moving on...

are you an artist that needs a quiet small town?
email
shaylivere@gmail.com

Another Interview Today
County Line Courier - our Kensington paper
My daughter likes to read this paper as well, she sees many of her classmates in the paper, and has a wonderful sense of community.
I am very happy to be interviewed about my art studio and gallery opening here in Kensington. PEI

Interview Today
I pitched a story idea to Sally Cole arts and entertainment writer for the Guardian about my small arty town. Stating that it was a great story as Kensington is building a great arts community here, with 4 visual artists studios - as well as writers, musicians etc! She picked up the story about us visual artists, so today myself, the Artist Co-op, Anne Gallant and Greg Garrand are all being interviewed.
I also have our great although small Kensington Newspaper the Courier coming over in the next few days to do a story on my artist studio and gallery.
Press got to love it!

Carol Little
My coolest of cool neighbour, Carol has just recieved a grant from the PEI Council of the Arts for her new novel that she is working on...its all very secretive but I promise to spill the beans when I can find out more about it. I know that it must be going well as the characters are torturing her and are seeping into her real life, always a good sign for a writer. OH besides landing this grant, she's just being 'lazy' with her TWIN girls, 9 months now, teething, stealing a few moments to write here and there, but really must be easy! HA! Now Carol you stay away from those articles at all costs. yes, she and Troy Little are married, quite the couple...

VereStudio & Gallery OPEN!!
2 School Street Kensington
turn right from Broadway Street
Look for the Inukshuk sign!

Here is Inuksuk sign in progress. My wonderful cousins (thanks!) helped me to put it up today. The house is getting painted, now for some landscaping and my VereStudio & Gallery sign will hang around my Inuksuk's neck...and look some flowers are even coming up from last year. hurrah!

Getting my home studio ready!
2 School Street Kensington, right around the corner from Kensington Train Station
VereStudio and Gallery Open June 1st.

Working artist Studio where Shayli Vere creates original Pulp Paintings - hand dyed pulps poured onto screens in many layers, marked and manipulated as desired. View paintings in Gallery as well as Shayli creating them in wet studio. Black and White Personal Traditional Photographic Portraiture will be offered Mid Summer. Have this award winning photographic artist capture your inner beauty.

Susan Christensen at the Island Life Show
local artist

ImageKind
hummm I was featured at ImageKind last week and didn't even know it!
I'm SOOOO on top of things.
I love this site, if you have good quality dig files of your artwork you can post your work up for sale, they print it, frame it and ship it to the customer. How easy is that?? My kind of marketing.

My booth at the Island Life Show

Hi allI am participating in the Island Life Show at the CONFEDERATION CENTRE OF THE ARTS CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND MAY 25 - 27Th

FRIDAY NIGHT
Jubilee Theatre
A continuous medley from 4:00-8:00
showcasing:That Dance Show
Anne & Gilbert
Chuck and Albert

SATURDAY - ALL DAY
12-8
Broadway Bound 12:00-2:00
Blame it on Amos 2:0015
Watts 3:00
Momentum Dancers 4:00
John MacEller 5:00
PEI Fashion Week 6:00

SUNDAY 12-5
Sketch 22 1:00
UPEI Music Department 2:00
Act 3:00
Sister's Pride 4:00

I'll be showing many of my new pulp paintings Please come and visit me at my booth friday night, saturday 12- 8, sunday afternoon

This is a great show with the best of Island made arts, crafts, entertainment, books and food.

If you can't make it I hope to see you at my home studio and gallery.
Opening June 1st
2 School Street, Kensington.

Troy Little's critically acclaimed CHIAROSCURO to be published by IDW Publishing.
(he's my talented neighbour)

CHIAROSCURO, written and illustrated by Troy Little, is the story of Steven Patch, an unemployed artist with a single blank canvas. Steven is busy living the introspective, angst-ridden life of your average twenty-something; drinking too much and complaining about his situation while doing little to improve it. A case of mistaken identity pushes Steven into a flow of events that brings him places he'd never imagined and forces him to make a choice between art and mere existence.

Highly praised by Dave Sim, Steven Grant, Tony Millionaire, and many others, CHIAROSCURO won a Xeric Grant in 2000, as well as a 2005 PEI Council of the Arts Grant.

Check out all the details...
http://idwpublishing.com/news/pressreleases/indy_titles.shtml

Can't wait to read it Troy!

This is a fantastic site where you can watch great inspirational shorts on Mondays, weekly short films about life & the human spirit. You just have to sign up. Its free.

http://www.monday9am.tv/index.html

Day at the beach - don't you wish you were here?

More beach shots from today. wish you were here!

We went to one of our great beaches today, since the snow is finally gone! It was a cool but great day.

Here is some of my fun prints in the newly renovated Absolutely Fabulous. A place that keeps me beautiful, from hair, brows, and clothing. These pieces are affordable, fun and modern. check it out!

One of my coaches sent me a link to free ebooks. I'm just passing it on

http://www.simplyaudiobooks.com/Free_Audiobooks/dp/202/

I have joined a new online gallery that someone emailed me about. I only have my originals up but its all about exposure isn't it!!? Fine Art America
This site was VERY easy to organise and upload images. Who knows maybe I'll get some interest from a few galleries in the States. I would love that!

New BEST OF store and e-commerce site, opening May 10, will feature quality authentic Island products. Their prime location on Charlottetown's historic Victoria Row, their policy is promoting the aritsan/artist/author.
Contact Trudi 368-8835 for crafts or Tom 628-1841 for books, music or art.

I plan on calling them today! We really needed a new venue in Charlottetown and I love this idea to combine crafts, art and books. As well an online presence is so important for Island sales.

How do you feel about art? I ponder this question as it is related to what I have to contribute to this world. It is what I feel I am here for, what I have to share, to give, how I serve. But what does art give to us? What IS art?
I am a member of the Adventurer's Club . They have a section where like minded people can hook up share thoughts and find friends. I visit there almost daily. I recommend their daily 'notes from the Universe" wonderful, inspirational and FREE. Not all coaches are fakes out for money only and I love Mike Dooley. (He's cute too) anyway. One of the members kept emailing me, very interested in my profile, mostly because I had stated that I was an artist and thought it was my job to show people the beauty inside themselves. When I was doing photographic portraiture I had many of my clients tell me that their experience was like portrait therapy. I am manifesting back my camera to do portraits again, I miss the connection. Anyway this statement struck a cord in him and he emailed me a couple of times to keep clarifying what I was saying, He couldn't understand how I showed people the beauty inside themselves because he only saw reflections of himself in others. To me thats part of it but not what's underneath.
This is my first reply to how I show people their beauty -'Mainly through portraiture, but also when you make art, people can only see it through their own perceptions, their own vision. I try to show people a new way to look at themselves and the world that they might have missed without my artist eyes..hope that answers your questions '
My last reply I thought nailed it a bit better and this I wanted to share with you -'Well, certainly we mirror meanings and messages through our bodies to one another, but you can look underneath all that and see the inner beauty that I speak about. That is where we are all one. That is where the beauty is, That is what I as an artist try to reflect. In turn you see from your own perspective, you see yourself in me.'
I find it interesting that his questions forced me to clarify what I was searching for - my place, my meaning of art and my purpose. Of course, you always know these things but they stay hidden until you are ready to TRULY understand them.
Some people don't understand art, but can be moved by it, WHAT IS THE FEELING? I think it is when we touch the source, the universe or god (whatever term works for you) it is truth, love. I feel grateful and honoured to be an artist as my work is touching this place and regurgitating it into a painting, a photo or a portrait of you. This is what art is, boy what a job.
I was listening to Oprah interview Esther Hicks on her radio show - have a listen it may be a little out there for some but I LOVED IT! SO Esther mentions that she thinks artists and musicians share her same connection with the source. I have heard people say of creativity 'where did it all come from?" I have heard artists (including myself) state that its just there, you tap in and it just comes to you. I have had finished art collections just sitting there waiting for me to manifest them. When people meditate this is the place that you go to. When others pray this is the connection. Artists manifest that source energy, beauty and truth back into art in its many forms.

Joost
I have started my beta testing with Joost. If there are any fellow tech heads out there, they have all the testers for now, but you should go and see what they are about.
Myself being a creative person, it interests me as another way to market my ideas. They do look for new content. I am interested in creating books on travel coupled with my spiritual beliefs, The Law of Attraction (more than just 'The SECRET' - the movie- people)But being on Joost has me thinking that this is a place where film makers and documentary producers etc could market their work. Like me. Like you. I can document my travels, with a twist of course, but not telling yet! and market then to Joost.
On Joost you will find channels , many channels, not on regular TV. Indie Music of course, vulgar comedy, but many travel docs and spiritual shows, like Deepak Chopra. An interesting Doc that I watched was a man from Iraq carrying around a camera to show things we don't see on the local news. I plan on watching a doc on Egypt with my daughter, since we plan on going there.
The difference besides the channels programs - that aren't sooooo slick as North American crap,( American I mean) is that they are coupling TV with the interactive possibilities of the Internet, so that while I am watching a show i can chat with other users about the program or functioning of the program. Also plans are to include different actions like voting on program outcomes, or changing camera angles while watching soccer. Although this is just the first few days I can see the possibilities of ITV and Joost. I mean, TV started with one show a night, snowy and in black and white! Just like SKYPE revolutionized the telephone, JOOST will change how we watch our programs. Maybe it will take us out of VEGETABLE mode that is the result of too much tv.
Oh by the way, I attracted being a beta tester, my Interactive Multimedia teacher can attest to my interest in ITV, even though it doesn't exist much in North America yet. Believe ,receive and I certainly didn't think it would show up as a volunteer beta tester job while I'm pulp painting in a small town of 1200 people.
I have many ideas on shows that would only reach its full potential with this interactive possibilities...stay tuned I'm not letting you in on it yet. Shayli out.

PEI April 8, 2007
ok...its not funny anymore
I opened my door this morning to two feet of snow and found myself shovelling so the boys (my two little doggies) could go out.
If there are any of those crazy artists out there that LOVE winter and snow (not me) here is another reason to move to kensington and set up your studio.

ME? next year Kaian and I will plan on being somewhere exotic for March and April. But the summers here are outstanding!! really!!

Artist Tour
The deadline for the Artist Tour application is April 19th.
I participated last year, but didn't really get much out of it. The schedule is set for Sept 29 and 30th. When most all of the tourists are gone! I did meet a few wonderful people that I hope to see again, but all in all. I'm not sure if I got my $50 worth. I don't like to be negative, but trying to just look at the experience with realism. Has anyone out there had a better experience? I thought it was great that the Island has started the Island Tours, but I wonder about the amount of brochures that are put out, and why they don't do it until the end of Sept?
I will participate again though, in case tourists see the brochure and will visit my studio through the summer.
I send out a call for all Islanders to get out there and buy some art and support your live Island Artists. I mean lets just think a minute about what Anne of Green Gables means to our economy. It's okay, Its not scary to look at art. It can give to you every day.
Opening Day for VereStudio is June 1st.

New websites i'm on...
One is Imagekind A reader of my blog told me about it in the comments, THANKS! I really like this site, as a way to sell prints of my work, good quality. I am still on Artist Rising as I prefer it as far as selling my originals. They are both great if you are an artist wanting to sell some work as they don't require any investment or little investment. I prefer Imagekind because I can sell giclee (best quality) prints without any cost to me, BUT for a small fee I can get the same prints from Artist Rising. The difference is that Artist Rising is more generous with its commissions on framing as where at Imagekind I need to be an annual paying member for higher sales commissions of my prints and to get any commission at all on the sales of framing. As far as google search, I show up on Imagekind after just a couple of days on there and still no search success from Artist Rising. Also there are so many artists on Artist Rising its hard to get noticed. I think that the actual site at ImageKind is nicer, easier to upload, I see my images more just looking through their galleries, overall its the better of the two as far as uploading etc. They also have a fan option where other artists that like your work can add their picture to your Fan base. Love that! I think both sites have good things and sales potential. I'll keep you posted!
IMAGEKIND - easier functionality and uploading capabilities
giclee prints with no investment
better search on google for under my name
show up more on their galleries
fan clubs
ARTIST RISING - lists originals
nicer artist gallery
higher commissions
more artists
show up on google just searching art

Also check out a Vancouver based website and zine for artists, free listings or memberships available. I have been on this site for a few years now. It is artists that have put it together and run the show. They are great people, very supportive of artist community. check it out!
Millennium Art and Cream Zine

My eldest daughter, Chandi, has been waiting for a new entry from me , so I thought I had better get to it! My excuse for not posting is that the only news is that its still snowing here!!!!????? I dream of New Mexico...Hawaii...don't get me wrong, I appreciate my life but still dream of more. Yes, I'm into the Law of Attraction and gratitude.
I spend most of my time in doors on my treadmill, painting most days- getting ready for our summer season or I'm readying files for online sales and print sales of my originals. I'm also working and studying with many coaches online to change my thinking and my life, which brings me to marketing for artists. What I'd like to discuss today is something I would like to change - most Islanders don't buy artwork. Whats up with that?
The solution? Marketing. I have a plan to put my paintings up for sale in non traditional outlets.
One of my favorite places in Charlottetown is my hair salon AND its my favorite clothing boutique, ABSOLUTLY FABULOUS . They are in the process of expanding, and I thought I'd put some of my more fun abstracts in their salon. They are thrilled. I am thrilled. By placing my art in a non threatening atmosphere I may attract more Island buyers and inspire them to purchase. Many people find art galleries intimidating, or simply just don't go, so I will put them where they do go. Many local artists put their works in local coffee shops, but people don't really seem to buy there, maybe because they are only thinking of spending money on a coffee.
Another idea of mine is to try furniture galleries, and approaching local architects and designers. I mean you need a painting over the couch, yes you do! This is why I decided to participate in the Island Life show at the Confederation Centre ( see earlier blog entry). They will have designer furniture, as well as other home and life items. It is an unconventional way to show my work. I do very well at THE DUNES STUDIO GALLERY in Brackley Beach, I believe because besides being a breathtaking building, art is displayed with furniture, pottery, wood bowls. Its a life store. It works. Its world class.
SO any furniture stores out there interested in my idea??? You'll be hearing from me soon.

Have you heard about JOOST???
Well after finishing my Interactive Multimedia Post Grad, I was soooooo interested in the convergence of TV with the selection abilities of the Internet. I wanted a job in this field so badly, but really I was, as usual, ahead of the times.(ahum) Well the guys that put together Skype ( fabulous and use it daily) have put such an idea together, called JOOST. AND I get to be one of the lucky ones and have been selected for a BETA TESTER of this amazing new ITV company. humm...they have jobs openings in Germany and ...

HI ALL
I have found a fantastic site, where I can now -besides more exposure and sales potential for my original works - sell prints, for free or a small set up fee for doing giclee reproductions of my work. I love this site and the marketing potenitial.
Artist Rising. Check it out!

News!!

I am going to New Mexico in October to study pulp painting techniques with the lady that inspired to me to start in the first place. SUSAN OLSEN
For anyone interested in papermaking she is one our queens and I feel very grateful to be able to do a one on one study with her. She is currently assisting me with techniques so I can create some vases that I want to create NOW and some lamps but still use the pulp pouring technique. I'm glad that she has an idea!

This rusty tin (I think) building is a pleasure for me to walk by- on the Rails to Trails. I love the color It has red and mustard trim. Love this compositon, I think I'll create it tomorrow.
In this community almost everyone walks and you get friendly hellos on the way. There are nice wooded bits that feel very secluded, just a dog barking in the distance. This building is part of the Industrial Park that I must walk by to get to the tranquil trees, too bad, but still you can find beauty everywhere, well that is what I have to share with you. the beauty I see. thats my job and I love it.

This is one of my sights walking on the Rails to Trails with my buddy Harry, our pup.
I am interested in creating something with the ice on the trees. The light was beautiful this morning everything white ice and a pink glowing sky.

Here is information on an exhibit that I will be participating in at The Confederation Center of the Arts. I encourage any Island Artists or craftspeople to participate!! see below

ISLAND LIFE

MAY 25-27, 2007
Confederation Center of the Arts


Dear Exhibitor,

Welcome to “Island Life”! This is Prince Edward Island’s must see lifestyle exhibition and an event not to be missed. The show highlights the very best that our Island has to offer in a retail marketplace environment. The show runs from May 25-27, 2007 at The Confederation Center of the Arts, just as summer fever is upon us after a long winter. This is a great opportunity to launch your new products as well as maintaining your presence in the marketplace. We hope to not only showcase products, but also; food, music, theatre, and other cultural events that our visitors can then recommend to friends, family and seasonal customers of their own. With the total number of booths limited to sixty, we are offering a limited number of spots in various categories. There will be; craft retailers, outdoor recreation, gardening, entertainment, live music, interior design and an entire section devoted to “ A Taste of the Island” along with many others. With this mix of display and retail booths along with fresh food and live music we will be creating an intimate and exciting experience for our visitors. Our marketing is directed towards people who are active, outgoing and who appreciate all the adventure, sites, sounds and great tastes of Prince Edward Island. Along with all this there will also be multiple door prizes throughout the show and one grand prize winner.


For more information or to register for the show, contact John Atkins at :

Island Life
Mt. Stewart R.R. # 1
P.E.I. Canada
C0A 1T0
(902) 676-2266
islandlifeshow@eastlink.ca

I caught a sunset last night...painting today

finally layed my first house pulp painting today, I love the textures and marks with the swirly sky.

Here is my pulp studio where I can get messy and handdye and pour my pulp paintings onto screens. Here I am manipulating the already poured painting to add more textures and detail.

Here is my home studio. It is set up so well for this as I can use the front entrance, living room for showroom and dining room for my pulp studio. I have added a den upstairs for family room.

My next door neighbour Troy Little has got a publishing deal for his amazing book Chiaroscuro !!! Congradulations!! Its going world wide. Artists! in this day and age we can live in a nowhere town and still reach the world. Although I haven't got to read it through I am very impressed with his drawing skills. amazed.
Any comic book fans should really check him out. I was over having a green tea with him and his wife Carol and he shared his news. What a creative couple, besides just having twins girls(!!!)(too sweet) Carol is working on a new novel and Troy on a new book. They inspire me and speaking of inspiration, I'm off to mix pulps.

window's view early morning

I was contacted to become a member of Alternative Energy Bloggers website . I thought I'd pass it on to others that might be interested in Alternative energy. The link that I choose was to heating which is a big concern here in Eastern Canada. COLD! I am interested in investing in some wind power, I heard (somewhere) that we could just be 10 years away from the time when we could all have our own personal windmill. BRING IT ON. Having lived a time 'off the grid' I love this idea of generating my own power AFFORDABLY and of course in a green way. But folks, didn't we come up with this windmill idea hundreds of years ago? talk about thick.
I did try the pellet stoves and found that my air quality in my house was terrible, it was very dirty and time consuming. Impossible to keep my studio and home clean and I worried about the fine soot that we must be inhaling all the time. I got rid of it and went electric as I said in an earlier post, hoping to add on windmills or solar power to help offset financial and environmental costs. I'd love to hear from anyone in PEI or Eastern Canada that has been successful with wind or solar power.

Local Artists...just a thought
If you are a local artist (musican, photographer,artisan etc) in Kensington or Summerside area - I would love to hear what is going on, a good opening or coffeehouse, something exciting that you are working on - lets share!

I'm back in to the pulp painting studio today working on a folky collection using my local Kensington Architecture for my inspiration. I will post some examples of what I have created later.

I am using the front room of the house as my showroom/living room. Also showing an inexpensive electric heater which feels good environmently since PEI's Maritime Electric Co has added sustainable wind power by way of many windmills.

Plant a Dream

Well I've done it...I've bought a house in a small eastern Canadian town...and now I've got my artist studio where I can now create paper art with pulp paintings and unique photographic art.
You can visit my artist blog to see more of my work VereStudio

I returned to my parents hometown in Kensington, Prince Edward Island. I returned to regroup to rethink to reinvent myself and my life. I bought a house. It needs love and work and money, but its mine. Artists unite. One of the last places in Canada where we can still afford to buy a house and have a business .

In this town of about 1500 people there are now four artist studios(many more all over the Island), the Anne of Green Gables Train Station, The Artist Co-op Gallery and there is just down the street Este Mundo's Christopher Smith and his wife run a successful music teaching studio. Living next door is a very talented animator Troy Little with his wife Carol and twin girls! Carol is a writer but busy these days I would think. I just heard that local artist Anne Gallant has just purchased a studio building in town. Just out of town is painter Greg Garand.

Please will someone come and open a decent coffee shop?